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What To Know
- From inside the car, she recorded the animals and later shared the clip on Instagram with a joking caption asking if she had spotted a bunny deer dog.
- A short video filmed from a car in the Dubai desert has taken over social media timelines and comment sections.
- They have long ears similar to a rabbit, legs closer to a small deer, and faces that some viewers compared to dogs.
Viral desert footage reveals rare Patagonian maras roaming Dubai’s outskirts
A short video filmed from a car in the Dubai desert has taken over social media timelines and comment sections. Three strange animals sit calmly on desert grass, long legs folded, ears alert, bodies unfamiliar. The woman filming sounds confused, laughing and questioning what she is even looking at. Within hours, the clip spreads fast, with viewers throwing out guesses that range from fantasy creatures to experimental wildlife. The moment feels chaotic, funny, and confusing all at once, and people cannot stop watching it.
The video was filmed by Louise Starkey, an Australian expatriate who has lived in Dubai for around two years. She was driving toward a barbecue gathering near Crescent Moon Lake inside the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve. From inside the car, she recorded the animals and later shared the clip on Instagram with a joking caption asking if she had spotted a bunny deer dog. The clip quickly passed a million views, turning a casual desert sighting into a full-blown online conversation.
The Video That Started the Confusion
In the video, three large animals rest together on low desert vegetation. They have long ears similar to a rabbit, legs closer to a small deer, and faces that some viewers compared to dogs. Someone in the background can be heard reacting with disbelief, repeatedly asking what the animals are. The tone stays light and amused, which only adds to how watchable the clip becomes.
Social media comments filled up quickly. Some viewers guessed hybrid animals, others joked about movie creatures, and many admitted they had never seen anything like this in the UAE. The setting added to the confusion. Al Marmoom and nearby Al Qudra areas are known for desert wildlife such as oryx, gazelles, and birds, but these animals looked completely different.
Social Media Has the Answer
It did not take long for wildlife enthusiasts and longtime Dubai residents to identify the animals. The mystery creatures are Patagonian maras, a species native to Argentina. They are large rodents, despite their rabbit-like appearance, and are among the biggest rodents in the world.
Patagonian maras have long legs, upright ears, and a body shape that often surprises first-time viewers. Adults can reach around 69 to 75 centimeters in length and weigh up to about 16 kilograms. They are herbivores and usually live in social groups, which explains why three were seen together.
According to comments shared under the video and similar sightings discussed online, maras have appeared around Al Qudra lakes and Al Marmoom desert areas since around 2020. Many believe they were once kept as exotic pets and later released or escaped, though no official statement confirms how they arrived in the area.
Why These Animals Are Being Seen in Dubai
Patagonian maras adapt well to open landscapes with low vegetation, which makes desert reserve environments suitable for survival. Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve offers protected land, limited vehicle access in certain areas, and food sources that support grazing animals.
Their calm behavior in the video also surprised viewers. The animals appear unbothered by the car nearby, sitting and resting together rather than running away. This reaction suggests familiarity with the environment and limited fear of passing vehicles, something commonly observed with animals that have lived in an area for some time.
What started as a lighthearted Instagram post turned into a viral wildlife moment that had people questioning their eyes. The bunny deer dog mystery ended with a real answer, and one that many had never heard of. Patagonian maras may look unusual, but their presence in Dubai’s desert reserves has been quietly known to some residents for years. This viral clip simply brought them into the spotlight, reminding viewers that unexpected wildlife moments can happen even during a casual desert drive.
